Hi folks!
I'm a composer who writes music and songs for Cartoon Network. I also make short films! Last year I wrote a post asking if my filmmaking/songwriting skills could be put to use somehow to help promote EA ideas or charities. I ended up collaborating with The Life You Can Save to create this puppet and animation based mini-musical! It aims to playfully discuss some ideas around effective giving in the global health and development arena, and to promote The Life You Can Save.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y3TTVK8wGQ
I wanted the video to express my own joy at having found a way to make a large positive impact in the world, and to lightheartedly address some concerns people might have around global charities. For transparency's sake: I self-funded the production costs of the video.
I'd love to know what you think! If you like it please consider sharing it to help it get seen by more people. I hope it might pique some curiosity about TLYCS and gain more donations for their recommended charities.
As I understand it the team at TLYCS plan to create a pack to use this video as a kicking off point for educating children about effective giving, so I'm interested to learn if it's useful in that area.
I also wrote a supporter story on their website with a bit more personal background, if you're interested.
If you have any questions, comments or critical feedback fire away! I'd like to learn from this foray and hopefully lend my creative skills to future projects (not necessarily puppet-based!) in the EA world if it seems like a worthwhile thing to do.
The format of the video is basically: "Do you worry about these things, then we have the solution." Integrated with some back and forth, that I really like.
"Do you worry about these things, then we have the solution." is a standard panther in commercials, for a good reason. I think this is a good panther also for selling idea ideas like EA. But it also means that you can just say you understand my concerns and that you have solutions, you have to give me some evidence, or else is is just another empty commercial.
The person singing about their doubts felt relatable, in that they brought up real concerns about charity that I could imagine having before EA. I don't remember exactly but these seemed like standard and very reasonable concerns. And got the impression that you (the video maker) really understand "my" (the viewers) worries about giving to charity.
But when you where singing about the solutions you fall a bit short. I don't think this video would win the trust of an alternative Linda, that your suggestions for charity is actually better. I think it would help to put in some argument why treatable decides, and how to lift the barriers you mention.
Every charity says they are special, so just it don't count for much. But if you give me some arguments that I can understand for why your way is better, then that is evidence that you're onto something, and I might go and check it out some more.
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All that said, I re-wathced the video, and I like it even more now. The energy and the mood shifts are amazing.
On re-watching I also feel that a viewer should be able to easily figure out the connection between focusing on deceases and avoiding building dependency. But I remember that first time I watched is it felt like there where a major step missing link there. I think it is now when I know what they will say, this gives me some more time to reflect and make those connections myself.
But people seeing this on the internet might only watch once, so...